How To Hide The Tyrant's Child In The Apocalypse-Chapter 58. A true villian - Richard

AT THE SAME TIME

EMPEROR LIANWEI POINT OF VIEW:

The prisoner’s body trembled on the cold stone floor, sweat and blood streaking his face. Guards held him tight as I loomed above, blade glinting in the flickering torchlight. Every muscle in my body screamed to end him, but I needed answers and the truth.

"Who sent you?" I demanded again, my voice low, sharp, a blade in itself.

He spat blood, coughing, but didn’t answer. His eyes were wide, mocking, as though he alone held the final card. Bai Jun slammed his fist against the prisoner’s chest.

"Enough games!"He shouted.

The man gasped, wheezing.

"I... I... I-"He gasped. A guard struck him across the face, and finally, in ragged, broken words, he confessed. "Richard... he... he sent me..."

The name fell like thunder. Richard. My teeth clenched, every heartbeat hammering with rage. Bai Rong’s voice cracked.

"Richard? That name... it’s—"He started.

Before anyone could finish, a cold wind swept through the chamber. The torches flickered, shadows dancing across the walls, and a deep, resonant voice filled the room.

"Indeed."A voice said.

We froze. All of us. The hairs on my neck stood on end. High above, Zeyrith descended from his beam perch, his eyes glowing with divine intensity. His gaze swept over the prisoner, over the chamber, finally resting on me.

"Richard." Zeyrith said, voice like rolling thunder. "He is no mere schemer. He is the original villain of your story, the one who has twisted events long before you knew his name. He thrives in shadow, feeding on fear and chaos. He orchestrated this your beloved, your children, your household... all tests, all pieces in his labyrinth."

The prisoner’s face drained of color. Even the guards stepped back, wary of the god before them. I turned my glare back to him.

"Do you deny it?"I asked. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"No... no!" he gasped, sobbing now. "He... he is beyond us! You... you’ll never—"

"Enough," Zeyrith said.

"Lies are pointless. The truth stands. Richard is the one you serve. And he has already begun moving against all you hold dear."He said.

Bai He pressed Bella closer to his chest, trembling, while Huan buried his face in my robes terrified.

"Mother... please wake..."He whispered.

I clenched my fists, trying to channel the storm of fury, fear, and despair into something I could act on.

"Zeyrith... what can we do?"I asked.

The god’s gaze softened, just enough for a sliver of hope.

"First... you must protect her. She sleeps because he wants you vulnerable, weakened. Then... you must uncover Richard. Only when he is revealed will the threads untangle."He said.

I glanced back at Mei Shen. Her chest rose slowly, rhythm steady but shallow. The poison still held her in its cruel grip.

"Then we begin." I whispered. Rage and grief mingling into a blade sharper than any steel.

The prisoner whimpered beneath my gaze, finally realizing the depth of the storm he had unleashed.

"You’ll... never... catch him..."Prisoner said angrily.

I smiled coldly, teeth bared.

"Oh, I will. And he will beg for mercy before I’m done."I frowned.

"Remember this: the true villain is patient. But so must you be. And your vigilance must be absolute."Zeyrith said.

The chamber fell silent, except for the faint, fragile breaths of Mei Shen. The weight of what had been revealed pressed down like a living thing. Richard was real. Richard was coming. And he had already begun his game. And we... we were at the mercy of his design.

-I stayed close to her bed, fingers brushing against the fine silk covering her wrist, counting each shallow breath as though it were a lifeline. The poison had left its mark, a dull pallor under her skin, but the way her chest rose and fell slow, fragile, stubborn made me grip the edge of the mattress.

Outside the chamber, the palace hummed with movement. Servants scurried like nervous ants, whispering about strange letters that had arrived under sealed envelopes I hadn’t authorized, shadows moving in corners that shouldn’t exist. Bai Jun and Bai Rong were pacing, quietly issuing orders, while Bai He fussed over Bella, whose innocent chatter barely masked her unease.

Huan lingered in the doorway, eyes darting around, silent tension coiling through him. Even Zeyrith had perched just out of reach, wings tucked, eyes glowing like embers—watching, waiting. I couldn’t leave her side. Not for a moment. But every piece of news felt like a needle in my gut: couriers found dead, messages intercepted, mysterious symbols etched into doorframes. Richard was everywhere and nowhere.

"Lianwei." Bai Rong muttered, voice low. ’We’ve traced the first envelope... it leads to the Eastern Watchtower. But the courier vanished into thin air."

I clenched my jaw, staring down at Mei Shen.

"She... she can’t be left alone. Not while he’s moving like this."I said.

"She won’t be." Huan whispered, kneeling beside me. "We... we’ll protect her. All of us."

I wanted to believe him. Needed to believe him. But every instinct screamed that Richard’s reach had already penetrated too far. And yet, as I leaned closer, her faint, even pulse against my fingers steadied me in a way nothing else could.

"Lianwei." Bai Jun said, voice tense. "The Eastern Watchtower isn’t just a place. There are... signs. Symbols we don’t recognize. Whatever he’s doing, it’s not just manipulation. It’s ritualistic. Careful. Calculated."

I swallowed, eyes flicking from her pale face to the door.

"Then we move carefully. But no one leaves this room without me knowing. I... I won’t risk her."I said.

Huan’s hand brushed mine briefly, a small, grounding anchor. I nodded, biting back words I didn’t want to say aloud. Outside, the palace breathed like a creature waiting to strike. Inside, I stayed by her side, scanning every shadow, listening for the whisper of footsteps that might carry Richard’s intent. She shifted slightly, stirring, and my chest tightened. Even half-conscious, she radiated a pull I could barely name. I tightened my hold on her hand.

"We’ll find him." I whispered, more to myself than anyone else. "And he’ll pay. But first... you wake. up"